MGoPodcast 6.0: Beard Game On

Over two hours! Taped before the Braxton Miller injury, so no discussion of that.

THE OTHER OTHER FOOTBALL [Eric Upchurch]

OFFENSE

We like Devin. We like the wide receiver corps a lot. We talk about the tailbacks, and the tight ends, and then we're done.

Oh right, that. That offensive line type substance.

Nussmeier changes: how extensive? If you can't run will you keep banging your head against the wall? Have we told you about the various weapons Gardner has?

DEFENSE

Depth, there is a ton of it. Brennen Beyer and the impetus of the move to the over. Frank Clark's surge: carrying over? Willie Henry comin'. Joe Bolden and the Eating of the Lemon. Robin Williams's incredible beard game.

Jarrod Wilson and the mysterious absence midseason. And the one spot with much question behind it. Wither Dymonte? The MSU-ification of Big Ten defenses.

Aggression! Aggression! Aggression!

SPECIAL TEAMS

They're extant. Bankin' on Norfleet, and if not, Peppers.

LOLND

We bring in Senior Notre Dame Sarcasm Correspondent BISB to talk about their personnel losses and Michigan's prospects in that game. Also to point and laugh. Jamie will return when we have Big Ten to talk about (and haven't already filled two hours).

I listen to MGoPodcasts/pressers/Inside Michigan FB radio show on MGoBlueTV while playing that week's opponent on NCAA. Every time.

Last year I did it every day as soon as I got home. Obviously that's going to change now that I'm in college. I'll still do it at least 2 times a week including my official game where I take the picture of the final score.

I actually got really close to the actual score of the games on two occasions.

2011 vs SDSU. Actual score was 28-7.

And last year against Akron. Michigan won 28-21. Oddly enough, I struggled against them all week. No pic of that because I deleted the entire 2013 batch.

Didn't Magnuson play LT in certain scenarios last year? Like on the goal line? You guys were saying he'd never played it, and I think he has. Of course, who knows what positions the line was playing last year.

I agree with Brian that Cole at LT is real. Not sure where Mags got work his redshirt year, but with Mags being out in the spring, it's possible Cole has actually gotten more reps at LT than Mags has in his short time at Michigan. Magnuson seems like a pure guard option at this point, or else they'd have him taking a lot more reps out there.

To clarify, here is my understanding of Ace's argument. To the extent my understanding is accurate, I agree with him.

I think the coaching staff has identified six offensive linemen who have established themselves as possibly starting. Within those six I believe that there are internal tiers, but I think the coaches have decided that the five spots will go to the six. I think those six are:

Cole
Kalis
Miller
Glasgow
Braden
Magnuson

Starting with that premise, I understand that Ace thinks this is how the coaches have decided things:

C: This will be either Miller or Glasgow. Coaches claim Miller has outplayed Glasgow, so MILLER wins. This means that Glasgow will either play guard or RT.

RT: This will be either Glasgow or Braden. I think the coaches can't fit Braden anywhere else, whereas Glasgow can play guard. I personally believe (although I don't think Ace suggested this) that the coaches feel Braden is too tall. So BRADEN wins.

G1: Glasgow is the best of the remaining linemen and might be better than Braden. So GLASGOW takes one of the two guard spots.

G2: Kalis would win this spot, but is chronically injured and this back injury is pretty scary. So we hope Kalis is ready to go but plan for his absence. KALIS wins, but what's the plan otherwise? It's between Magnuson and Cole. The coaches think that Magnuson might be the best of the linemen, and we need push inside to win. Cole isn't that strong but he's very agile, so Magnuson is better as a guard than Cole is as a guard, whereas Cole can play tackle. So it's MAGNUSON if Kalis is out.

LT: See discussion above. Magnuson is best here but Cole can play better here than at guard. So MAGNUSON wins, unless Kalis is out, which would make COLE go here.

I guess is what I'm saying is if Magnuson gets bounced from his current guard spot, he will not displace Cole at LT. Either he finds another spot on the line (RT?) or he sits. Cole isn't just keeping the seat warm. The way they've consistently repped him on the first team since spring ball is a pretty clear signal that he's their plan A there, period, regardless of the guard situation. That said, if Cole doesn't work out in an actual game, then all bets are off.

I'm saying that the coaches' ideal line contains Magnuson at LT. I think Cole is only starting because Glasgow will be suspended for a game and Kalis is also injured. Once Glasgow returns, IF Kalis is healthy, I think the line will be:

MAGNUSON // KALIS/GLASGOW // MILLER // GLASGOW/KALIS // BRADEN

Whereas it sounds like you think if Kalis is healthy the line will be:

COLE // KALIS/GLASGOW // MILLER // GLASGOW/KALIS // BRADEN

That's the bet. Who's number 1 at LT if everyone is available and healthy? You think it's Cole, I think it's Magnuson.

You guys got it right about retention. The best programs, the ones that win titles year after year, retain and develop players. Regardless of your thoughts on Rodriguez's coaching, strategy, or defensive coordinator hiring decisions, he was awful at roster management.

A coach's job is to identify the right players, develop them, and get them to buy into their system. Rodriguez kept running off players, especially when he first arrived.

Hoke and his staff gets these kids to buy in. That's why Michigan goes six deep at receiver, linebacker, corner, defensive tackle, and running back. It's why there are a truckload of highly rated linemen who are sticking around despite all the issues.

If you wanted him fired after last season, fine. They're going to be loaded next season, with a question at quarterback and offensive line coach.

1. I think Chesson might surprise. Seth's point in This Week's Obsession about drag routes might mean Jehu gets some opportunity to catch the ball going full speed across the field/down field. He also has really elite long speed. I thought his catch against MSU was really pretty good.

2. You compared the WRs to Edwards, Avant and Breaston, but what about Manningham, Arrington, Breatson, Matthews?

You guys realize that he's scheduled to start next year? We can argue about the utility of garbage time. More importantly, however, if your plan is to redshirt a guy, then you can't have him taking all of the 2nd-team snaps over the week. If he's not taking 2nd-team snaps, he's not going to be ready next year.

I suppose there's a weird possibility that you plan on Morris being the 2nd guy but for every game Gardner gets every snap other than snaps you'd happily give Cleary or Moores. (I understand that Bellomy would get them in this theoretical outcome, but the point is that because Morris is getting 2nd-team snaps, you have to be sure that the game is way over by the time Gardner is taken out.) I think I'd rather just put Morris in to give him some work.

The other way Morris gets a redshirt is not something that I think helps Michigan.

I just want to put down on the record that I completely and totally love these podcasts. This blog generates a complete load of quality product, but I think your podcasts might actually be your best product. Thank you, Brian and Ace.

You guys described last years O-line as a "Tire Fire". A pile of flaming tires would have been an improvment-- unless you meant a really high pile that avalanched into the back field, in which case I agree.

You guys are investing a lot of hope in the "Borges screwed up everything" theory. I hope that you're right, but all indications to me so far have been that the problems with the OL the last couple of years go much deeper than the OC.